Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alejandra Castillo to Deliver 2025 LBJ School Commencement Address

AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 25, 2025) — Alejandra Y. Castillo, an alumna of The University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, will return to her alma mater on May 10 to deliver the LBJ School’s 2025 commencement address. The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium.

“I am deeply honored to return to the LBJ School to address the class of 2025,” said Castillo, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development and current Chancellor Senior Fellow for Economic Development at Purdue University Northwest. “The lessons I learned at the LBJ School helped shape my career in public service and my commitment to inclusive economic growth. I look forward to celebrating this milestone with the graduates and encouraging them to embrace their responsibility to uplift others and open doors for the next generation of leaders.”

For more than two decades, Castillo has been a driving force in public service, working across three presidential administrations—Biden, Obama and Clinton. Most recently, she served as a Fall 2024 Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, focusing on the intersection of place-based economic development, U.S. competitiveness and national security. 

From 2021 to 2024, Castillo served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, becoming the first woman of color to hold this position. During her tenure, she oversaw the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) implementation of more than $6.8 billion in federal funding, leading transformative investments that promoted inclusive and equitable economic growth across the country. Her leadership helped drive innovation in critical technologies, workforce development and U.S. national security priorities.

“We are honored to welcome Alejandra Castillo back to the LBJ School to address our graduates," said JR DeShazo, dean of the LBJ School. "As a proud alumna, a trailblazing leader in economic development and a dedicated public servant, she embodies the values of the LBJ School. From her roots in New York City as the daughter of Dominican immigrants to her impact at the highest levels of government, Alejandra has championed inclusive growth and transformative leadership. Her insights and experience will undoubtedly inspire our graduates as they set out to shape a better future through public service.”

A dedicated advocate for equity and economic opportunity, Castillo is an active member of several civic and professional organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association, the American Constitution Society and the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, an M.A. in Public Policy from the LBJ School and a J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law. 

During the ceremony, Castillo will address an audience of approximately 850 people, including 130 graduates receiving master’s degrees in Public Affairs (MPAff) and Global Policy Studies (MGPS), an Executive Master’s in Public Leadership (EMPL) and Ph.D.s in public policy. 
 
The LBJ School graduation ceremony will take place before the university-wide commencement at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on May 10 at 7 p.m., where graduates will be honored and participate in the traditional lighting of the Tower.